Downtown Jacksonville’s Pearl Square is putting serious money on the wall. Gateway Jax is calling for muralists and sculptors to help define the look of its emerging neighborhood, with all-inclusive commissions starting at $25,000. The team says it will lean toward local and regional artists who already know their way around large-scale public work. Applications are open now and close next Friday (April 23).
How to Apply and What They’ll Pay
Artists can throw their hat in the ring by submitting qualifications through CaFÉ, where a dedicated RFQ lays out the mural criteria. A separate RFQ for sculptors is posted on CaFÉ as well.
Both postings list next Friday as the application deadline and state that commissions begin at $25,000, all-inclusive for design, materials, fabrication and installation, according to CaFÉ. The listings spell out the basics applicants will need to provide: an artist statement, 5–10 portfolio images and a resume.
The RFQs also map out a tight selection schedule, moving from shortlists in early May to final picks in mid-June, with installations running from late summer through December, per CaFÉ. In other words, selected artists will not be waiting years to see their work in the wild.
Where the Art Will Live
The pieces will be installed throughout Pearl Square, a mixed-use neighborhood that Gateway Jax describes as roughly a $750 million phase of a broader development push totaling more than $2 billion across about 25 city blocks. Plans call for parks, widened sidewalks and a curbless festival street, with the public art program woven directly into those spaces to help bring the streetscape to life, according to Gateway Jax.
With more than 1,250 residences and around 200,000 square feet of retail planned at full build-out, the selected works will not be tucked away. Artists who land these commissions can expect their pieces to sit in highly visible, high-traffic spots.
Selection, Timing and Local Preference
The developers’ news release stressed that Jacksonville and regional artists with large-scale public art experience will get priority, a point highlighted by the Jacksonville Daily Record. Gateway Jax and its partners outline a process that starts with shortlisting candidates in May, followed by concept proposals later that month and final selections in June.
That schedule gives successful artists a few months to fabricate and install their work before year’s end. For many local creators, it is one of the more substantial commission-backed chances to plug into downtown’s current development wave.
Next Steps for Artists
Interested artists should pull together a clear statement of intent, 5–10 strong portfolio images and a current resume, then submit everything through the appropriate CaFÉ RFQ before next Friday’s deadline.
The CaFÉ listings include a full project information PDF, site plans and budget guidelines, and applicants are urged to read those details closely. Selected artists will be required to sign a contract that spells out a site-specific scope and schedule. For a broader overview of the neighborhood and its development plans, check out the Pearl Square project site.
